This patent application relates to a mechanism and a method for monitoring a vehicle.
A vehicle, such as a truck, a tractor-trailer combination, a boat, a plane and the like may comprise at least one detector operatively associated with the vehicle. The at least one detector monitors an aspect, such as the vehicle speed, the vehicle temperature, ambient temperature and the like, of the vehicle and/or its surroundings. The at least one detector may include a camera that takes either motion or still images. A vehicle operator, such as an operator physically associated with the vehicle, an operator located remotely from the vehicle, a computer and the like, may benefit from access to an output from the at least one detector on the vehicle and/or an element, such as a battery of the vehicle, an alternator of the vehicle, a fuel level sensor of the vehicle, and the like of the vehicle.
The output of at least one detector may be provided to the vehicle operator in many ways. However, if the output of at least one detector is made available to a vehicle operator physically associated with the vehicle on a flat screen associated with a vehicle dashboard, for example, the output may increase vehicle operator distraction. This vehicle operator may “take eyes off of the road”, thereby increasing possibility of an accident. Some estimates show that approximately 70% of all traffic accidents are caused by vehicle operator distraction. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide output of at least one detector to a vehicle operator in a manner that does not increase vehicle operator distraction.